Archetype notes for Native American unit

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Transcript of Archetype notes for Native American unit

Archetype—Carl Jung: The human mind unconsciously creates images. These images appear in dreams of all humans and in the myths of every human culture.They are basically SUPER SYMBOLS -- characters, situations, and images that can stand for many different thingsThe term archetype can be applied to:· An image· A theme· A symbol· An idea· A character type· A plot pattern Carl Jung coined the word “archetype’ and theorized that humans have a collective unconscious, meaning that all people have the same ideas or experiences. This shared memory of experiences has resulted in a resonance of the concepts of hero and heroine that transcends time, place and culture. Jung called these recurring personalities archetypes.

Can suggest mystery of Creation.Birth to death to resurrection; purification and redemption; fertility and growth.RiversThe mother of all life; spiritual mystery and infinity; death and rebirth; timelessness and eternity; the unconscious.

Breaks the rules of the gods or nature, but usually with ultimately positive effects (though the trickster's initial intentions may have been either positive or negative).The Devil figure is a form of the shadow, evil incarnate, a figure who frequently offers the hero otherworldly goods, fame or knowledge for possession of his soul

The Devil FigureThe Terrible MotherThe Soul Mate

The Great MotherThe mysteries of life, death, transformationare found in two main narratives:The Archetypal WomenThe Good Mother

The princess or beautiful lady—incarnation of inspiration and spiritual fulfillment

The quest: the hero (savior, deliverer) undertakes some long journey during which he or she must perform impossible tasks, battle with monsters, solve unanswerable riddles, and overcome insurmountable obstacles in order to save the kingdom.

The Archetypal Man

He tests the moral qualities of others and makes gifts dependent on this test.

Mandala (a geometric figure based upon the squaring of a circle around a unifying center)

Circle/SphereShapesNumbersAscending the mountain suggests a spiritual journey to enlightenment.

The center of the universe from which everything could be seen.The place the gods, reveal truths.

Place of mystery and power

MountainSpiritual aridityDeathNihilismHopelessness

DesertTreeGarden

CreationArchetypal Motifs or Patterns

Escape From Time

Mystical Submersion into Cyclical Time

"return to paradise," the state of perfect, timeless bliss enjoyed by man and woman before their tragic Fall into corruption and mortality.ImmortalityWise Old ManTruth tellersEyes and messengers of the godsMove between the seen and the unseenOffer prophetic vision and insight

Serpent/Snake/ WormTurtleTortoise CreaturesVirtually every mythology/cultural truth is built upon some account of how the cosmos, nature and humankind were brought into existence by some supernatural Being or beings

The old man always appears when the hero is in a hopeless and desperate situation from which only profound reflection or a lucky idea can extricate him.A Journey ThroughArchetypesSavior, redeemer, gururepresentingreflection, insight, wisdom, goodwill readiness to help

Yin-YangArchetypes can be expressed in· Myths· Dreams· Literature· Religions· Art· FolkloreThe theory of archetypes explains why cultures who have never interacted have similar images, characters, and situations (what happens after death, where life came from)These are especially evident in myths from cultureAlso in modern works (TV, books, art, films); can you name some?The negative aspectsThe witch, the sorceress, the siren, whore, femme fataleSensuality, fear, danger, darkness, dismemberment, emasculationSunSun (fire and sky are symbolically related)Father (Moon and Earth are associated with female/mother)Setting SunDeathRising Sunnegative context:death and decay.Egg (oval)Wholeness and unityPositive:LightSpiritual awarenessUnityNegative:The unnatural

The most powerful of all symbolic numbers Signifies the union of 3 and 4The completion of a cyclePerfect order

NatureThe positive aspectsThe theme of endless death and regeneration--human beings achieve a kind of immortality by submitting to the vast, mysterious rhythm of Nature's eternal cycle, particularly the cycle of the seasons. Thinking/wisdomBirth, CreationCreativityBeginning of time/lifeIn American Culture:Evolved to symbolize depressionWhitepositive:light, purity, innocence and timelessness.negative:death, terror, the supernaturalinexhaustible lifea symbol of immortalityIntuitionVast journeyLong lifeThe Trickster

Jokester Adaptability Playfulness Paradoxical nature, personality difficult to categorize Beware of the dark side of things and play on your resources